Nairobi hospital on virus preparedness

Kenya's largest public hospital is preparing for COVID-19 patients by training its staff and acquiring equipment to treat those seriously affected by the virus.

Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi invited journalists on Thursday to observe teleconferencing training of staff, preparing personal protective equipment (PPEs) and the use of a newly installed CT scanner.

In Kenya the virus has infected just over 110 people and killed three, but health experts are expecting the outbreak to peak by the end of April.

The government said they will be recruiting hundreds of new medical staff and empty schools will be converted into hospitals.

Members of Kenya's task force dealing with the coronavirus are interacting online with experts from Wuhan, Beijing, Paris and Dubai.

The CT scanner enables radiologists from 37 different countries to communicate with experts from Kenyatta National Hospital in a way that ensures that the diagnosis of patients is done within a short time.

According to Evanson Kamuri, the chief executive officer at Kenyatta National Hospital, equipment including ventilators, drips and face masks have been procured to combat the pandemic.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus, but the fear is that COVID-19 could drag the global economy into a recession.